I'm a software developer in East London. A while back I started researching AI voice-cloning scams — criminals take a few seconds of someone's voice from social media or a voicemail greeting, clone it, and phone their parents or grandparents pretending there's an emergency and they need money urgently. "Mum, I've had an accident, please don't tell Dad." It's the old grandparent scam, but now it genuinely sounds like your child or grandchild. McAfee found 3 seconds of audio is enough to clone a voice, and 1 in 4 people have either had one of these calls or know someone who has.
The standard advice is a family safe word, but everything I read (and heard from families) says the same thing: people forget the word the moment they panic — which is exactly when it matters.
So I built a free tool called Homeword. If someone gets a suspicious call, they tap one big button or text the word CHECK, and the actual relative's phone gets asked "was that you?" — the answer comes back in seconds. There's nothing to install, it works over normal text messages, and there's a printable card to keep by the phone.
It's at homeword.uk (there's a 30-second demo on there). Completely free — I built it because my own family uses it, not to sell anything.
Also genuinely asking: has anyone here received one of these calls, or something that felt off? I'm one developer trying to make this genuinely useful, and hearing real experiences shapes it more than anything.
Should we be more open to a wealth tax?
Yes, Why Are SUV's Getting Even Bigger?
